The invention relates to a two-part closure assembly for a container, and, more particularly, to such an assembly that includes a spout and a cup.
Several types of liquids, particularly liquid soaps and detergents, are packaged in containers that include a cup into which the liquid is poured from the container before use so that the user can conveniently determine the amount of the liquid that has been dispensed from the container. The liquid is commonly poured from a spout on the container to a cup, which may include measuring indicia. In order to prevent the cup from being separated from the container, the cup often is designed to be part of the closure assembly for the container, such as an overcap which overlies a cap while the container is not in use.
Various mechanisms have been used in such two-part closure assemblies to attach a cap and a cup in the form of an overcap. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,247, the cup includes a collar extending upwardly within the cup from its base to engage the cap. The cup and cap disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,761 have complementarily ribbed surfaces so that the interior surface of the cup can engage the cap. In the cup and cap combination of U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,120, the inner surface of the cup contacts a lip projecting outwardly from the upper surface of the container neck as the cap is placed on the container. A cap overlies the cup and threadedly engages the container to seal the container. The cap may contain an annular projection on the inner surface of its base to prevent axial movement of the cup when the container is sealed.
Often some of the liquid remains in the cup after the liquid is poured therefrom for use. This excess liquid creates a mess when it drains from the cup over the outside of the container when the cup is inverted over the cap. Thus, a desired feature of two-part closure assemblies that include a measuring cup is that the seal between the cup and the cap or spout be leakproof to prevent the liquid from spilling from the container.
One proposed solution to the drainage of excess liquid from the cup is to design the cup so that the liquid drains back into the container, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,509. The sidewall of the cup is disposed within the neck of the container when the closure unit is in place so that the excess liquid in the cup drains back into the container. An outwardly directed annular flange on the sidewall of the cup rests on a sealing surface at the upper edge of the container neck and is secured between the sealing surface and an annular flange on a ring member to hold the cup in place within the container when the container is sealed.
It is important in these latter types of closure assemblies that the cup be attached to the remainder of the closure assembly so that liquid can not leak from the container through the closure assembly, particularly if the container is accidentally knocked over or dropped.